East Hartford Council Grants Interval House $5,000

EAST HARTFORD — — The town council has decided to give $5,000 from its Community Development Block Grant to Interval House, a domestic violence crisis center.

The funds will be for the new fiscal year that begins July 1. Initially, no funding for Interval House was included in the 2011-12 town budget.

Interval House clients, employees, volunteers and its executive director spoke Tuesday night at the council meeting after learning that the private, nonprofit organization would not receive funding from the town as it has in recent years.

Interval House executive director Cecile Enrico said the center helped 567 East Hartford clients last year. Some needed only minutes of help, while others needed hours, days or weeks of support, Enrico said.

Donna Andrini, an Interval House employee, said its programs aid clients — direct or indirect victims of domestic violence — in 24 area towns by providing shelter, basic necessities, a 24/7 hotline, services for children and counseling, including legal advice.

She told the council about an East Hartford mother of two who came to Interval House for help after barely surviving an abusive relationship with her husband.

The woman, Andrini said, fled with her children to a local homeless shelter, but her husband found them and quietly persuaded her to leave with him. The woman said he later repeatedly stabbed her on the ride home, but she jumped from the car, rolled down an embankment and was later admitted to a hospital.

Andrini asked that the council remember women in similar situations while making fiscal decisions.

"I ask that you consider their needs," she said.

Upon a recommendation from grants administrator Mary Martin, the council decided to move $5,000 from the senior services portion of the block grant.

"The senior services line item is the one we think could best bear the reduction," Martin said, because it had about $14,000 to use outside of block grant funding.